Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

SMU Meadows Division of Film and Media Arts is devoted to training and mentoring students to become artists in film and media. Alumni enjoy careers as directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, media executives and artistic directors, with work ranging from documentaries and shorts and feature-length films to television series and online digital videos.  Alumni projects have included work on Lincoln, August Rush, Jurassic Park, Supernatural, King of the Hill, Wishbone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and other well-known productions. Students can gain hands-on access to equipment the very first year and have numerous opportunities to hone their craft in scriptwriting, directing, producing, lighting, audio recording and more, whether it be for class projects, film festivals or for the Division’s biennial full-length feature film project, produced entirely by students with the mentorship of industry-respected faculty. Offering B.A. and B.F.A. degrees, the Division offers plenty of curriculum choices and guidance about the industry, including hands-on production training and courses covering the historical and theoretical aspects of film and media. Regardless of area of specialty, ambitious and motivated students can pursue internships in Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and other major cities. Many Film and Media Arts students immediately begin work in the industry after earning their B.A. or B.F.A.; others continue their education in graduate school, with recent alumni gaining acceptance to graduate school programs at USC, UCLA and the American Film Institute, among others. The Division of Dance offers professional dance training within the context of a comprehensive liberal arts education. The goal is to develop the disciplined, versatile dance artist through a balanced study of ballet, modern dance and jazz dance techniques, complemented and reinforced by a broad range of theoretical studies and performance opportunities. The program provides an atmosphere in which students are nurtured and stimulated in their quest for artistic achievement, technical mastery and scholarly excellence. Undergraduate majors study dance as a performing art with the intent to become practicing artists. The core of the dance curriculum is designed with this goal in mind. The combination of performance and liberal arts education courses serves to develop the articulate dancer. All dance majors have opportunities to perform and choreograph as an integral part of their performance studies. The Dance Performance Series includes main stage concerts in the Bob Hope Theatre, concerts in the Sharp Studio and noontime Brown Bag performances in the Owen Arts Center lobby. Other opportunities include special events, outreach programs and interdisciplinary projects within and beyond the Meadows community. Dance majors are required to participate in Dance Performance Series events as partial fulfillment of the degree program. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance performance is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance. Successful completion of this program will enhance the student’s personal growth as well as technical development in ballet, modern dance and jazz dance. The degree requires 80 credit hours in dance, of which a minimum of 44 credit hours are in technique and the remaining 36 credit hours provide stu-dents with the opportunity to develop scholarly and creative abilities in dance and related areas of interest.